"This guy here goes by Gram." Sacred Blade said as he motioned his hand to the male who appeared to be in his mid to late twenties.
He wore chainmail protective gear, and attached to his side was a mace that had the emblem of an eye with two daggers pierced through it just above the handle. He had neatly arranged short blonde hair and a pair of crystal blue eyes.
"He is currently ranked 42nd on the event leaderboards and will be filling one of our two supporter positions. While his healing ability is limited, Gram specializes in buffs, debuffs, and crowd control. It wouldn't be wrong to say that he's one of the best utility supporters in RML." Sacred Blade said.
Gram gave a slight nod as he greeted Izroth and Niflheim.
"In the middle is Colorful Nimbus. Just like Gram, he is one of our supporters. However, unlike Gram, his healing abilities leave nothing to be d.e.s.i.r.ed. In terms of experience, you can probably count the number of players on your hands alone who are capable of matching Colorful Nimbus when it comes to pure healing ability. But, his talents don't end there. After all, he's ranked 25th on the event leaderboards for a reason." Sacred Blade explained.
He then continued, "Due to the unique nature of his class, his ability to inflict damage is nearly on par with that of his healing. So we're basically getting two roles for the price of one with his presence."
"I've heard much about you, Palace Master Izroth, Captain Niflheim. Ah, excuse my rudeness. I suppose now it is just Niflheim—since you are no longer a part of Blue Oasis." Colorful Nimbus said.
Colorful Nimbus looked to be in his early twenties with a thin yet muscular frame, somewhat wild dark red hair, and eyes that contained a myriad of colors. He wore a form of light armor that was a mixture of leather and cloth, and the right side of his face was the tattoo of a cloud's outline.
Colorful Nimbus set his gaze upon Izroth as he sized him up.
"Hm… I have to say; you certainly don't look all that strong for someone ranked 1st on the event leaderboards. Hey, how'd you get so many points so fast anyway?" Colorful Nimbus asked.
"Mind your words, Nimbus. Palace Master Izroth is someone I consider a benefactor." Sacred Blade stated.
"What? I'm just saying what I think. I'm sure someone like Palace Master Izroth doesn't mind if I speak freely, right? Besides, it's not like I doubt his skills. Palace Master Izroth's feats alone more than speak for his strength. But, if he wants me to apologize for my words, then all he has to do is say so." Colorful Nimbus said without mincing his words.
"No. If there is someone who wishes to speak their mind, I will not stop them. Words spoken have consequences—good and bad. As long as you are aware of this, then I see no issue." Izroth said calmly.
"Heh… It's just as I thought. You really are an interesting one. I'm looking forward to our journey together. And, even though you don't require an apology—I'm sorry. I just wanted to test you a bit, is all. I needed to know the kind of person you are." Colorful Nimbus stated with a satisfied grin on his face.
'Amusing.'
Izroth realized that Colorful Nimbus was trying to evoke a reaction from him. He would most likely gauge Izroth's character based on how he responded.
They would be in the same party together and did not have days or weeks to get to know one another. Therefore, this was Colorful Nimbus' way of getting to know Izroth, so to speak.
Of course, this is also why Izroth gave the response that he did to Colorful Nimbus. It was Izroth's way of giving him an answer to his question and—a warning.
Sacred Blade released a helpless sigh as he shook his head. He knew that Colorful Nimbus was not a bad person; it's just that his actions were sometimes a little eccentric. Still, Sacred Blade was glad that Izroth did not seem to take offense to what Colorful Nimbus said. After all, how tragic would it be if a party got into an argument just before a crusade?!
Sacred Blade cleared his throat and said, "I'll continue with the introductions. Last but certainly not least is our party's magic caster, Morrighan. Though most of you might know her as the Phantom Queen."
Leaning elegantly against the wall was a stunning woman in her early twenties with a beauty mark just under the far right side of her eye.
Dangling from her ears were a matching set of gorgeous earrings that resembled two crescent moons facing outward with a whole moon placed in between them.
She wore a short black dress with frills that stopped halfway down her t.h.i.g.hs as sleek black stockings hugged her legs and stopped just a few centimeters above her knees.
From her wrists to her upper forearms were several loose-fitting gold bangle bracelets, and on her feet was a pair of black high heels.
This woman went by Morrighan, but because of her name and the magic she used, players started to refer to her as the Phantom Queen.
When it came to magic casters in RML, if players were asked who was number one, the answers received would be mixed. However, if those players were top-level magic casters, their response would all be the same—the number one magic caster in RML was, without a doubt, The Phantom Queen, Morrighan!
"When it comes to magic casters, we honestly couldn't have lucked out more. It's not every day you get to see the number one magic caster in action." Sacred Blade revealed.
He then continued, "Palace Master Izroth may not know this since he's been offline for a while, but the Phantom Queen was actually ranked 5th on the event leaderboards. If not for accepting my request and making the trip here to Rosentarus, she wouldn't have fallen out of the top ten rankings to 11th place."
Morrighan glanced over at Izroth out the corner of her eyes. Then, after a few seconds, she closed her eyes and gave a small nod in his direction.
Izroth returned Morrighan's nod with one of his own.
'The number one magic caster in RML, is it? I'm curious to see how she compares to those three.'
Izroth had seen numerous mages in action firsthand. And, among those mages who were players, three stood well above the rest by a large margin.
Vanaheim, a Captain of Blue Oasis. Mariposa, the guild leader of Sleeping Gardenia. And, of course, Valentine.
If Morrighan was more skilled than the likes of those three, then they truly had nothing to worry about in regards to magic!
Izroth had never heard of the name Morrighan; therefore, the chance of overdramatic rumors was always a possibility. However, being able to once hold the 5th ranked spot on the event leaderboards certainly gave her an air of credibility.
"Alright, that's it for introductions. Does anyone have any other preparations they need to make? There's a good chance that we won't be able to make contact with others while we're inside the crusade." Sacred Blade warned.
No one responded to Sacred Blade, and so, he took their silence as confirmation that they were ready to proceed.
"Good. Then, since everyone's ready, let's head inside." Sacred Blade said.
"So? Where's the entrance?" Colorful Nimbus inquired.
"You've been right next to it the entire time. It's like I said before—the entrance to a crusade isn't exactly conventional." Sacred Blade answered as he took a few steps forward and stopped right in front of the small puddle.
He peered down at the puddle and said, "Just follow me."
The next moment, something remarkable happened.
Sacred Blade jumped, landing in the puddle that spanned no more than 45 centimeters. And, in front of everyone's eyes, he rapidly sunk into the puddle!
In less than a second, Sacred Blade had disappeared without a trace!
Everyone was taken aback. That small puddle was the entrance to the crusade? Not only that, but it was located in such an out-of-the-way place that was hidden insanely well. It's no wonder no one else managed to discover a crusade up to this point!
Gram, Colorful Nimbus, and Morrighan followed after Sacred Blade as the three also vanished after leaping into the puddle.
"See you on the other side," Niflheim said to Izroth as he approached the puddle and plunged in just like the others.
'A crusade… I'm looking forward to it. If the rumors are true, it should be an interesting experience. Let's hope it doesn't disappoint.'
With that thought, Izroth jumped into the puddle.
And, after Izroth vanished, the small puddle dried up, leaving not even a single drop of liquid behind.
